CEBU CITY -- Out of 10,000 beneficiaries of the Sugbo Negosyo program (Season 2) of the Cebu Provincial Government, 35 business achievers made it to the “Top Performing Beneficiaries” and were given opportunities to showcase their businesses, products and services at the Atrium at SM-Seaside from September 8-10, as they compete to make it to the Top 5 list where they are given all the necessary mentoring and assistance by the Provincial Government of Cebu and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
The Sugbo Negosyo Season 2 Expo displayed various products from local delicacies, processed foods, furniture, souvenirs, hand-made crafts, others. This event is proudly organized by the Province of Cebu in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI).
“I am impressed with the quality of products and the entrepreneurial spirit of these 35 business achievers that are mostly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Gov. Gwen found the Sugbo Negosyo to be a very good program for the infusion of funds and now she gave more to uplift the MSMEs and showcase what the province of Cebu products/ star-ups can offer,” MCCI president Kellie Ko said.
Ko added that these MSMEs
could be part of the local food tourism map of Cebu and program like this boost
confidence among the MSMEs.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in
her speech recalled how Sugbo Negosyo started during the pandemic where she
helped struggling MSMEs recover from the doldrums caused by COVID.
“Since its launch in 2020,
Sugbo Negosto has already assisted more than 18,000 MSMEs through capital
infusion and mentoring assistance. The
success stories of Season 1 winners are solid evidence of how the program
changed the lives of many ordinary Cebuanos,” Garcia said.
According to the organizers, after the three-day expo, the Top 10 Season 2 finalists are chosen based on certain criteria and the ranking will then be reduced to Top 5. Winners are to receive monetary prizes on QR-coded cards from the Provincial government.
At the booth of Bez Acre owned by Nicola Libre Enriquez of Toledo City now at #SugboNegosyo Expo at SM Seaside, Governor Gwen Garcia stopped by for a pre-taste of Nicola’s farm products. Nicola also has a stall/booth at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Market every Saturday.
This is Bez Acre’s story: “It started with a rest house in Toledo, in the south of Cebu. It was where we spent our family vacations, a place where we could pause. Whenever we visited, we devoted our time into taking care of the land that surrounded our home, bearing in mind our roles as stewards of the earth.”
“We found how it strengthened our bond as a family to plant and harvest what we sowed in the soil together. Our father, the one who wears The Farmer's Hat, would frequent the farm bringing Bezalel, our youngest.”
“Bez then learned to love life in the fields as much as our father did, an inspiration to naming the farm Bez Acre. Before long, Bez Acre flourished into a bounty of fruit-bearing trees and healthy vegetables that became the source for *the food on our table*. Our personal chef, who we call "Mama", began preserving the farm's produce by making pickles and jam.”
“These we shared to our friends as gifts. They
have grown fond of our food and began sharing to their own communities.” (Photos: MBCNewman)
No comments:
Post a Comment